Car-coupling.



Z 0 mm N u ld e t n B t a P 0w 8 A, 3 o 0 N CAR COUPLING. (Application filed Mar. so, 1903.

2 Sheets-Shae; I.

(No flodel.)

ml: NORRIS PETERS co.. PHOTOLHHOU vgsmncrom n. n.

Patented July I, [902. J. W. SMITH.

GAR COUPLING. (Application filed Mar. 29, 1902.

2'Shaots-Sheet 2,

("0 Model.)

WWW/ am;

Tu: Nomu s PETERS 00., Puofuurna, wAsumm-oy, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFEICE.

JOHN W. SMITH, OF OTTAWA, CANADA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 703,489, dated July 1, 1902.

Application filed-Marol1 29 1902.

To all whom. zit-natty concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ottawa, in the county of Carleton, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled-in the art-to which it appertains to make and'use the same.

My invention relates to car-couplers of that class known as the Master Oar-Builders type.

The general object of the invention is to provide a very simple coupler which for the same weight shall have materially greater strength than ordinary couplers of this type, the only type now considered by most railway corporations.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view showing a coupler with its knuckle locked. Fig. 2 shows the'same coupler with its knuckle swung open. Fig. 3 shows the coupler in side elevation. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4, Fig. l. Figs.;5, 6,' 7 are respectively side and end views of a certain locking-pin. Fig. 8 is a plan view of a part of the coupler-head. Fig. 9 is a perspective View of the knuckle detached. Fig. 10 is a plan View illustrating the attachment of the coupler to a car with ordinary devices for operating it from the side of the car.

In the drawings, A represents a couplerhead formed integrally with a draw-bar A and having at one side a guard-arm a and at the other a hub a, the whole having in outline the form of standard Master Oar-Builders couplers.

B designates a knuckle pivoted to the head at B and so far as its free outer end is concerned also conforming tojstandard outlines. Unlike ordinaryheads this head has no central cavityor recess, but its hub a and adjacent portions of the head are cut away both above and below, leaving' asolid central mass thinner than the rest of the head and having its upper and lower faces parallel planes. The inner end of the knuckle, which has the same vertical thickness as the head, is forked or has its central portion cut away, so that it may fit over that portion of the head just described, and the pivotal pin B passes verti- Serial No. 100,606. (No model.)

cally through both branches of the knuckle and the hub or intermediate portion of the head. Each branch has an outer locking-tail b b and an inwardly-extending arm 6 the latter when-the knuckle is closed, as in' Fig. 1, lying within the line of the central portion of the end face of the head and nearly in contact with the rear wall of the recess in which the branch lies, and when the knuckle is open, as in Fig. 2, projecting in front of that portion in position to be struck by the open knuckle of a coacting coupler. 7

Between the tails b b and the shoulders 7, against which they would strike could they rotate -far enough about the pivot B, a pin O-passes vertically through the head, in which itslides freely, but is prevented from turning, as shown, through its non-cylindrical form. The upper end portion of this pin is provided with a head 0, normally fitting and filling the space between the tail 1) and the shoulder 7,

--but which maybe liftedabove the plane of the tail and shoulder by suitable devices, shown-in Fig. 10 as a cranked rod D, mounted in suitable bearings d d on the end of the car and extending horizontally to the side of the latter. The lower end of the pin fills in like manner the space between the tail 1) and a shoulder corresponding to the shoulder 7. When the pin is raised, as above suggested, its lower end rises above the plane of the' tail b and the head 0 being above the plane of the tail 1) the knuckle is free to rotate, opening the coupler. With the parts of the form shown the pin is cut away at 6 below the head to allow the tail 1) to pass, and merely for lightness it is centrally recessed at 8 also. The upward movement of the pin is limited by a stop 00, Fig. 3, and when the coupler is open the head 0 may rest upon the tail 7) and prevent the pins descent untillthe coupler is closed, when gravity causes the'pin to drop, locking the coupler-inclose'dposition."

It is plain from the construction that approaching couplers being open each'will strike the arms 12 of the other, thereby swinging the knuckles into mutual engagement, and that when engaging position is reached each is instantly locked by the automatic descent of its pin 0 and remains locked until the pin is positively raised, as by the bent rod and rock -shaft D. In this closing of the knuckles the arms b pass out of harms way and the central solid portion of the head receives in the line of the draw-bar the impact due to the momentum of the car-an impact which is often very great and often breaks centrally-recessed heads.

Pulling strains on the knuckles tend to rotate the knuckles on their pivots B, and this tendency is resisted by the pin-head 0 above and by the body of the pin below, both parts being subjected merely to a crushing strain into which a part only of the force of traction is converted, and hence not necessarily being very heavy.

It is obvious that the locking-pin may have a very diiferent form from that shown for illustration and that in other respects construction may be varied without passing the limits of my invention, among the broad features of which I consider forming the head without the usual central cavity or recess. providing a forked knuckle to embrace a solid central hub, and providing a locking device in the path described by the outer portion of the knuckle. It is further to be observed that the breakage of either tail b b or either arm 1) would not prevent perfect working of the coupler and that ordinarily it will couple cars where the difierence in height does not bring one coupler entirely above the other. So, too, the wearing-surfaces of both head and knuckle, or those parts in the line of draft when the knuckle is closed, are unbroken, so that the wear is distributed over surfaces of unusual extent, and hence is less rapidly destructive. The traction -strains, which tend to rotate the knuckle and which are not only sudden, but often very great, especially on curves, are transmitted transversely to the solid or non-recessed end of the draw-head, where they can by no possibility do harm, and should the lower end of the locking-pin or its head or either tail or either arm 11 be broken the coupler is not thereby thrown out of service or made uncertain in operation.

What I claim is- 1. In a coupler of the class described, the combination with a head having the central or axial portion of its working end a solid or non recessed mass of metal, of a pivoted knuckle having the face which meets the coacting knuckle an unbroken surface extending from top to bottom of the knuckle, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a head having a suitable lateral shoulder upon its knucklebearing side, of a knuckle pivoted upon the head and having upon that portion of its rear end which is most distant from the couplers axis a face in position to approach said shoulder as the knuckle opens, and a block normally filling the space between said face and shoulder and arranged to be moved out of said space for unlocking the knuckle.

3. In a coupler of the class described, the combination with a head having a solid outer end recessed above and below to form aparallel-faced hub, aforked knuckle embracing, and pivoted to, said hub with its branches normally at some distance from the corresponding walls of the recesses, and locking devices arranged to pass into and out of the spaces between said branches and walls, sub stantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the head having the non-recessed central portion and the integrally-formed hub, of the forked knuckle embracing the hub and having the tails and arms, the pivotal pin passing vertically through the branches of the knuckle and the intermediate hub, and the vertically-sliding pin having parts adapted to pass into and out of the paths of said tails as the pin falls and rises.

5. The combination with the head of approximately the out-line of the ordinary coupler, having the non-recessed end portion, and cut away above and below, on the knuckle side, leaving the medial hub with the shoulders, of the forked knuckle having the tails and arms, the vertically-sliding non-revoluble pin having portions adapted to fit and fill the spaces between said tails and the corresponding shoulders when the pin is in normal position, to pass out of the paths of the tails when raised, and to be held up by the tails when the knuckle is open.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

J. W. SMITH.

Witnesses:

WALLACE GREENE, EDWIN S. CLARKSON. 

